|
Please remember to add a rating as there are people of all ages that come to this site.
| Merlin Season | post 2 | Rating
(Refer to main page) | 17+ angst, violence, brief but graphic slash beginning | Characters in the story
| Merlin, Arthur, brief Uther, Gaius & peasants | Pairings
(if needed) | Arthur/Merlin | Word Count
|
| Disclaimer / Warning:
(if needed) | characters "borrowed" from BBC one without their permission.
includes alternate ending |
| | |
|
"Merlin!"
"Arthur!"
"God oh god oh god JESUS god!"
Arthur's elemental climax stuttered inside his lover as Merlin's erupted through the prince's energetic fingers. Arthur pushed forward as far as he could, feeling Merlin's hips arch back to accept him. He smothered himself in Merlin's sweaty black hair to softly kiss the accessible slender neck and Merlin shivered, sending extra scrumptious vibrations through their conjoined bodies causing Arthur to squeeze involuntarily. Merlin's responding twitch was enough to start them off again.
Almost immediately after their shorter second round Merlin pulled lightly forward as he began to roll over.
"No my Merlin, don't. Please stay." Arthur begged in a whisper, scooching after him to prevent withdrawing fully, pulsing slightly as he slid back in to evoke a mutual whispered moan. He slowly pulled them both back to avoid the worst tacky patches. This night had been too good to let it go so soon.
Arthur fell asleep inside him, hand cupping his partner.
Merlin did not sleep at all.
* Arthur woke alone, surprised to find himself semidressed in clean sheets.
Merlin had used the magic he thought he kept hidden from the prince to remove all evidence of the most incredible night of Arthur's life. Stupid really; even if the entire experience had been a dream there would have been plenty of his own ejaculate in the bed. Orgasms like that left a mark on more than your body.
He got dressed and searched for his missing lover. Arthur knew something was seriously wrong when he found Merlin mucking out the stables without being prompted several times.
"Why did you leave?" Voice threatening to crack.
"Work to do."
"Nothing stops you neglecting your duties when you feel like it."
Merlin's eyes flashed and Arthur felt more than one kind of fear.
"It was a mistake." He offered lamely.
"Yes."
Ouch. Arthur filnched internally.
"It'll never happen again." Lamer yet.
"No, it won't." Merlin's tone became slightly menacing.
"No, because you obviously didn't enjoy it at all." Bitterly sarcastic now.
"Piss off!"
"You don't love me." Arthur was stunned by his own whispered conclusion. Merlin scoffed, more riled than before.
"Love had nothing to do with it: You commanded, I obeyed."
Arthur slapped him across the face. He didn't have time to reflect that this was a rather feminine thing to do as Merlin's eyes instantly flashed so he slapped him again, hard enough to turn Merlin's head and make him leave it there. For a second or year he watched a stinging red hand rise through the fair skin, satisfaction mingled with horror, before silently storming away.
Merlin used the gathered magic to purge the stables rather than raze Camelot. He was more distressed than ever.
*
"You struck your most loyal servant,' Uther's voice was heavy with disappointed anger and suspicion, 'Why?"
Because he wrenched out my heart and smeared it across the wall of my pride.
"In a flash of self-loathing I struck out at the only person present. It is unforgiveable."
He remembered the mark blossoming on the treacherous face with shame. He gained too much pleasure from hurting Merlin in petty ways but had truly never considered striking him. He could not let it happen again. What if he came to enjoy that too? He must send him away.
"Merlin will leave your employ today. You will ensure he receives substantial compensation for your abuse, from your own treasury. Should I believe your provision insufficient you will be publicly flogged."
Uther's inconsistencies continually bemused his son. The man would publicly execute a child suspected of sorcery without a trial, but abhorred violence toward subordinates.
"Yes Father."
*
"I'm not some tart for you to pay off and send on my way!"
"No tart has ever been in my bed Merlin as you would know, I always go to theirs. Anyway I have to pay you off or be flogged. If I knew it would make you feel like a prostitute I would have chosen flogging,' his voice softened, 'You have to leave Camelot regardless."
"Why?"
Arthur barely touched the darkening cheek but it still hurt enough to make Merlin wince.
"All I do is hurt you, when I only want to love you." He sadly kissed the most marvelous lips in existence and left.
*
Merlin was shattered.
He'd convinced himself soon after eagerly ejaculating into Arthur's hand for the second time that their liaison was merely another way for the prince to enforce dominion and ownership, despite desperately hoping otherwise.
His prideful rejection of Arthur in the stable ensured they could no longer sustain any relationship.
Dead inside he torpidly washed, changed and packed his few belongings.
He would not magically heal himself this time. The bruise on his cheek matched the one on his heart.
"As outside, so inside."
*
By mid-afternoon the main square was packed.
A T-shaped whipping post had been erected in the very centre of the plaza and Camelot's citizens had gathered anticipating entertainment.
"No." Merlin whispered.
The crowd whooped and, oddly, cheered as their Crown Prince was lead onto the platform by a quartet of guards. The women called and cheered louder as he was stripped to the waist and had his wrists bound to either end of the crossbar so his bare chest was pulled against the splintered join. Was it really only eighteen hours ago when that chest was pressed so urgently against his naked back? Severe neck injuries were common from a whipping, paralysis rare and Merlin did not want to think about that body being broken so publicly, certainly had no wish to see it. Arthur would be more furious than ever if Merlin tried to put a stop to it.
He felt compelled to look as the perverted mob inhaled as one. He moved to stand on a barrel beyond the crowd yet directly in Arthur's line of sight. He gawped like an idiot as that regal countenance faced him. It was obvious Arthur saw him by the startled expression on his face.
Their eyes locked as the first lash struck.
*
He found him at the back, finally packed and ready to go. Merlin wasn't supposed to see this, he should have been gone hours ago! He saw Merlin gawp as if he truly were the idiot he so often called him.
Their eyes locked.
The whip struck.
God it hurt, but he would not bow his head. He would not look away.
It struck again, and again leaving red welts that looked like engorged leeches had burrowed under his skin.
Arthur did not know how many lashes Uther had ordered, he refused to count. He bit his lips together as his back finally tore open, blood seeping through both wounds.
It burned so much he wanted to cry but he would not. He had chosen to purge himself.
His eyes closed briefly as more gashes split his tortured skin and before returning to the sanctuary of Merlin's cerulean gaze sought out the contusion that blemished his mortified face.
He clenched his buttocks, fists and jaw in attempt to endure the relentless bite of the whip until he let out an agonised shout.
He saw Merlin's hand reach out toward the whipmaster, his eyes changing colour...
"No!" they yelled simultaneously.
*
"No!" they yelled simultaneously.
Merlin watched Arthur pull against his bonds as the whip descended again, knowing he was calling for Merlin to stop, not the flogging. He lowered his hand and allowed his will to dissipate. He had no choice but to leave now he had revealed himself. He turned, stepped off the barrel and took seven steps before the agonised voice rang out again.
"No! NO! NO!"
He turned to see Arthur's gaze following him, tears seeping through the grime that had accumulated on his face. Merlin dropped his pack as Uther called "Enough."
*
Arthur lay whimpering on his stomach while Gaius dabbed his wounds with a cloth steeped in hot water and herbs.
"Let me help." Merlin's voice rasped, but not in the way Arthur had made it earlier that morning.
"No." Prince and physician responded together.
"He knows." Merlin replied to both protests at once.
"No." Arthur insisted gently into his pillow.
"At least to prevent infection. Arthur, please?"
The emotional plea did not fail.
"Alright, help if it makes you happy."
Uther came in to visit his son once Gaius notified him of Arthur's condition. He was surprised to see the servant at the centre of the trouble asleep in a chair by the Prince's bed.
"What are you still doing here?"
Both young men woke alarmed and began babbling at him at once. He raised his hands for silence. "Now..." he began, directing attention to Merlin but Arthur, as usual, jumped in first.
"None of this was Merlin's fault! He doesn't deserve to lose his home and his job because I did something stupid. He wouldn't accept compensation and I didn't tell him I'd be flogged if he didn't. I alone should be held accountable as it was my actions that were reprehensible."
"He remains at your command and at your mercy, be sure this never happens again Arthur. Whatever possessed you to treat him this way? Merlin has repeatedly proven his loyalty to you over the years and proves willing to serve you despite your abuse. Mistreated servants provide an opening for intrigue and betrayal. Your punishment was harsh I admit, but you are infuriatingly stubborn and this is a lesson you must take to heart. Am I clear?"
"Yes Father."
"Very well, then I leave you to your rest. Merlin."
"Sire."
Once the King had gone Merlin hesitantly turned to Arthur.
"Did you tell you father you...raped me?"
"Is that what happened? Is that how you feel?" Arthur's toneless response showed he was obviously distressed by this choice of words. Merlin sat on the edge of the bed wondering what made him express it like that. He certainly had been willing and Arthur had not applied any kind of pressure, it had just happened and - been horribly wonderful.
"No...no I don't feel like that."
"Father doesn't know why I hit you, only that I did...Why did you say those things in the stable Merlin? Is it true?"
"After the intensity I wondered...I doubted you took what happened between as seriously as I did. I was afraid. As much as I love you I'm afraid of you Arthur. You can make me feel strong or weak with just a look. You hurt me so easily, so carelessly."
"You do love me?" Merlin clearly heard the relief in Arthur's question.
"You're not horrible all the time, or even half the time, but when you are...not even Morgana can be as cruel as you."
"You're not exactly innocent yourself,' Arthur's tone was neither defensive or offensive, 'I'm just as afraid of you. I've known for a while what you are Merlin, what you are capable of and it scares me."
"Maybe you were right, perhaps I should go anyway."
"No. Don't leave. When I woke up without you I felt...lost...used...every worst kind of fear. Never leave me again. Please?"
Merlin leaned forward and kissed his own and Arthur's doubts away. The pain they were both suffering stopped anything else being possible. He curled Arthur into his arms, careful not to brush against the still bleeding wounds and promised to be there when Arthur woke up this time. He subtly used magic to allow them to sleep without physical pain and so he could properly hold the man he loved, who loved him.
He never used magic to heal these injuries. Whenever Merlin's fingers danced across Arthur's back in the future the tangled scars reminded them just how deeply they could hurt each other, and made them more determined to never let it happen again.
end ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
alternate ending "No!" They yelled simultaneously.
Merlin watched Arthur writhe against his bonds as the whip descended again, knowing he was calling for Merlin to stop, not the flogging. He lowered his hand and allowed his will to dissipate. He had no choice but to leave now he had revealed himself. He turned and stepped off the barrel. He had taken seven steps before the agonised voice rang out again.
"No! NO! NO!"
He turned to see Arthur's gaze following him, tears seeping through the grime that had accumulated on his face. Merlin turned away and continued walking as Uther called "Enough".
That's just what Merlin thought.
* Merlin's life back in Ealdor was quiet. No life threatening choices, no name-calling, no patronising smirks, no objects thrown at him.
That tumultuous relationship had been toxic for them both. Years of Arthur's abuse had left scars that ran so deep he could not see their beginning or end. Although Merlin still cried at times over what he had left behind, he dreaded to think what would have become of him had he stayed. It was all too common: husbands and wives so often mistreated by those who promised to love and protect them that they became hollow, hopeless shells. Merlin did not deserve that. No one did.
For a time he had wondered how Arthur was feeling, what was going through his mind, did he miss Merlin at all? But as his own heart began to heal he no longer cared.
Merlin let go of what had been and what would have been in order to take hold of what could be.
end
Ask yourself this: if Arthur treated Guinevere the way he treats Merlin would you encourage her to leave? | | |
| |
Share this
